


A Business Proposal

by Shippingk8



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/F, Food Porn, No not the gross kind!, Non explicit version on fanfiction.net, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Real world Remnant, Romance, Smut will be towards the end, Snark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-04-30 08:54:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14493363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shippingk8/pseuds/Shippingk8
Summary: On temporary hiatus(while I work on a new fanfic)Weiss is happily attending Beacon University's Corporate Law Program in the hopes that she can earn the right to run the Schnee Energy Conglomerate. But all that is jeopardized when her father suddenly decides to make the three siblings compete to inherit the company instead. Overburdened with school and at wits end to come up with ideas, she is dragged out for a break by her snarky roommate Blake. What Weiss never could have guessed, is how much everything in her life will change from meeting her cute blond bartender, Yang.Full of romance, longing, Yangst, and snark as Yang and Blake try to show Weiss that her life doesn't have to be full of sacrifice and duty. A light hearted Freezerburn story with some interesting twists and turns along the way.





	1. An Amendment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The only constant in life... is change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super excited to be starting a new adventure, hope you enjoy it!  
> There is a playlist for the chapter in the ending notes, if that sort of thing interests you.

 

“Please remember while writing this brief that I expect you all to incorporate the tenets we have already discussed this semester.” Professor Goodwitch looked over the top of her glasses with annoyance, “Some of you have not been producing work befitting a paralegal, let alone what a corporate law firm will expect out of a graduate from this university. I expect more this time around if you wish to pass this course.”

Weiss smirked and re-crossed her legs under her desk, as her instructor's voice rang off the mahogany wood of the lecture hall. She continued to diligently type out her professor's instructions for their latest assignment, knowing exactly whom Goodwitch was talking about.

It was essential to know everyone else’s standing, if she intended to stay at the top of her class.

She glanced back down at down the tall blonde below. Her teacher had crossed her arms over and had a stern look upon her face, “I will expect a liability argument presented from the plaintiff's perspective. Do not leave any gaps whatsoever in your case against the company. I want you all to practice writing from this particular point of view so that you can visualize counter arguments instinctively in future cases. ”

When the click clack of Goodwitch’s heels on the dias below stopped, everyone looked up from their laptops.

“Remember that the best defense is a strong predictive offense,” her piercing green eyes swept over her students. From her gaze, to her tailored, form fitting suits, nothing about Goodwitch exuded anything less than power and cunning.

She was not a woman to be trifled with.

Weiss ran her tongue over her teeth as a grin pulled at her lips. It was no wonder that their instructor was both the most feared and sought out professor in their corporate law program. She had always managed to inspire and catch Weiss’s attention… sometimes in more ways than were acceptable.

**_Focus you dolt, or you are no better than your lackluster colleagues._ **

“The brief will be due on the fifteenth and will account for thirty percent of your final grade. In regards to the slew of emails I have received about your final exam, I will be ready to discuss the details of the final when we return from break, and no sooner. But as always any materials assigned or discussed in class are fare game.” Goodwitch walked back to her podium and started to pack up her things, “Are there any questions before we dismiss?”

There was a slight pause as everyone finished typing up the instructions. Weiss had assumed that class was about to conclude, as she moved the assignment into the proper file on her laptop, but her efforts were cut short by the familiar sound of a blue haired idiot from across the lecture hall.

“Yeah, the deadline for the paper is actually the second day of break professor. Can’t you make it due after we get back instead?” the layabout asked in a shamefully familiar tone

Weiss glared at the lack luster son of the Vasilias family as he nonchalauntly lounged against his desk. They had known each other since high school. He was a perpetual slacker from a family whose station was lower than her own, yet somehow he always seemed to skid by right next to her.

The mere fact that she had to tolerate his presence in her law program irked Weiss to no end. Her only solace was that his extremely average grades seemed to prove that his family must have made a ridiculously large donation for him to gain admission into such a prestigious law school.

“Mr. Vasilias, are you presuming to tell me how to run my class?” Goodwitch snapped.

“No,” Neptune sat up straight and timidly answered back, “It’s just that some of us have plans for break and a life outside of cla-.”

Their professor cut off his airheaded babbling with a soul crushing glare. “If your personal life is so important,” she chided, “then I suggest you consider another profession or learn how to keep a tighter calendar. Corporate law is not a nine to five job, Mr. Vasilias.”

Neptune folded his arms in thought, then a second later foolishly addressed Professor Goodwitch again, “It’s just that university policy says that there shouldn’t be any due dates during break.”

Green eyes narrowed down to cat-like slits at being challenged, “Well, if that is how you wish to proceed with negotiations, then perhaps I should move the due date to the day before break in order to stay within compliance.”

Most of their class groaned in response and a few angry whispers were loud enough to make out. Neptune looked around in panic, “No no,” he waved his hands, “I’m sorry I- uhhhh,” Weiss watched him sweat as he tried and failed to recover, “misspoke before.”

Goodwitch raised a severely unimpressed eyebrow at him, “For your sake I hope that you work on your negotiation and argument skills before the original deadline Mr. Vasilias. We wouldn’t want you to look so unprepared or foolish in front of a courtroom, now would we?”

She widened her gaze to address the rest of their class, “Any other questions in regards to the _details_ of the assignment?”

Weiss couldn’t hide the satisfied smile that touched her lips when she saw Neptune sink back into his seat defeated. She couldn’t have said it better herself, success always required sacrifice.

That was a truth she was _intimately_ familiar with.

When no other students spoke up Goodwitch buckled her attache, “If that is the case, then I will see you all next class. The required reading will be updated, as per usual, on the class website.”

Her professor strode off the dias and out the door, the distinct sound of heels marking her departure. Weiss bit the inside of her lip as she watched her go. But then took a deep breath in and cleared her thoughts before checking her schedule on her phone. Weiss scrolled through her calendar to see what was left on her agenda for the day, while the rest of her class packed their things and walked down the stairs to the exit.

She was done with classes for the day, but needed to get Professor Peach’s paper on International Transaction Regulations turned in by midnight, there were 170 pages to read in her Corporate Compliance text, and some basic homework to get done for her accounting class. A frown marked her face when she realized that she still needed to look over the Schnee Energy Conglomerate’s weekly earning report and department briefings as well as somehow make time for the gym. She had skipped going twice already that week.

A text message flashed at the top of her screen and disrupted her train of thought.

**Neptune Vasilias**

**|Hey snow angel, want to partner up and work together on the brief for Goodwitch?|**

She glared at her phone before pointedly typing back.

******|We are in our third year, how many times do I have to tell you no before you get the hint? Also, it’s PROFESSOR Goodwitch. Why must you always act so familiar?|**

******|Sigh, please Weissy! I need to get this thing done before break! I have plans that I can NOT cancel.|**

******|I fail to see how any of that is my concern. Furthermore, what on Remnant made you think that calling me Snow Angel or Weissy was going to aid your attempt to get me to do your work for you?|**

**|Uhhhh, not for me, with me! Come on Weiss, we’ve known each other forever. I need to get my grades up before graduation, or I will be stuck interning for one of my parent’s friends.|**

She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. They would be graduating in a little less than two semesters. The fact that he was scrambling to fix his uninspired academic record now, was so typical that it hurt.

******|How terrible for you, but you should have thought of that our first year instead of waiting until the last minute. I have more important things to attend to besides listen to you prattle on. Goodbye, Neptune.|**

 

An angry growl escaped Weiss as she closed their message and went back to her previous task. She took in a long calming breath, then surveyed her to do list once more before attempting to sort and prioritize it.

**_I can always read the company reports while I bike._ **

A pain in her stomach interrupted her thoughts.

**_But not until I eat something. I’ll never get through my time at the gym, let alone the paper I have to write tonight, if I don’t get some food soon. Blake is right, I need to stop skipping breakfast._ **

She packed her belongings and straighten her dark grey pencil skirt before heading for the exit. All the while her mind drifting to the things she wanted to eat, while having to face the sad reality that none of them were a likely possibility.

As Weiss stepped out into the cool afternoon sun she had to cover her eyes from the sudden brightness of being outdoors again. Once her eyes adjusted she took in the pristine campus, its sidewalks full of students, as she tried to determine what she should eat.

An early autumn breeze occasionally rustled her tied back hair as her gaze traveled past the vaguely Georgian architecture of the brick buildings in the quad. She weighed her options when her eyes fell on the tall glass windows of the student union in the distance.

Even though Beacon was a renowned university it’s on campus food selection was surprisingly dismal. Most of the options lacked real nutritional value and were utterly devoid of refinement.

**_Burgers, burritos, and iceberg lettuce drenched in ranch dressing. None of it sounds even remotely appetizing. Or light enough to eat before the gym._ **

There were a couple of establishments tucked into the buildings around campus that served somewhat healthier fare, but it was rarely packaged to eat on the go, and was ridiculously expensive. So given that she liked to limit her food expenditures whenever possible, that wasn’t a viable choice either.

Weiss turned her head slightly as she considered the off campus options, there was a good thai place, the falafel stand, and the rest was greasy fried bar fare.

**_I just need something quick, healthy, and cheap. Why is that such a physical impossibility?!_ **

It wasn’t that she didn’t have money or was useless at cooking. She just preferred to transfer as much of her monthly allowance into her personal account as possible, and her time was regularly and undeniably limited. Law school was consuming, and the extra accounting classes she took were enough to push even her academic limits most of the time.

Weiss grumbled as she dug into her bag. She didn’t have time to get food if she was going to make it to the gym anyhow. She pulled a sad looking granola bar out of her grandfather's old leather satchel and sighed.

**_This will have to do until I can pick up something else on my way to the library._ **

 

* * *

 

Weiss sighed as she submitted the last of her accounting homework. The extra classes were easy; it was the tedium of the assignments that usually wore her down. Accounting had never really been a passion of hers, but if she intended to run a corporation as vast as the Schnee Energy Conglomerate, she needed to be versed in as many areas as possible.

She removed her earbuds and stretched in her seat at the library, needing a break before tackling the next assignment on her agenda. Her muscles were a little stiff from her workout, but it had felt good to move her body after being stuck in class or behind a desk for so many days.

The upper level of the library was more populated than Weiss preferred, but she knew in a couple of hours she would be blissfully alone.

As she sorted the stray papers of her last assignment she noticed that her phone’s screen was lit up. Weiss grabbed the device and swiped at her screen to see the notification.

|One missed call and one voice message, from Winter Schnee|

Weiss nervously gripped her phone. Her sister rarely called her, and when she did it was typically not with good news. She took in a steadying breath as she worked up the nerve to listen to her older sibling’s message.

“Hello sister. I surmise that school is going well,” Winter’s voice flowed out casually, but with an undercurrent of sternness, “and that you are busy studying while listening to music. Which is likely why you didn’t see that I have called.”

Her cheeks flushed, it was annoying how well her sister knew her.

“I just wanted to drop some friendly advice in regards to any plans you might have for your upcoming break,” Winter continued.

Tension grew in Weiss’s chest, she had been looking forward to going back home and getting to visit with her sister again, but Winter’s tone and word choice indicated that something was wrong.

Winter’s voice sharpened, “Unfortunately, I’ve fallen prey to Whitley’s posturing jibes more than usual, and as a result father has taken to locking himself in his study.”

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. She loved her sister, but Winter’s temper was all but legendary and their younger brother had never missed an opportunity to test their eldests sibling’s limits in every new and derogatory way.

“Though I would miss you if you didn’t visit, I wish to save you from Whitley’s latest unbefitting behavior. He’s trying to educate me on how to do my job better at the company,” Winter growled. A second later there was a pained sigh before her sister resumed, “It is regrettable, but I don’t foresee this current batch of discord ceasing anytime soon, so I feel that you would be happier staying at school with your friends.”

A deep frown marked Weiss’s face. She was disappointed, but she knew that her sister was right.

“I miss you little sister.” Winter paused and it made Weiss even sadder, “Klein, of course, sends his love. And mother, well, I’m sure she does too.”

With that the message ceased and Weiss was left to mull over her options, as well as just how serious this latest bought of infighting between her younger and older sibling was.

A quiet groan of frustration and sadness escaped her as she propped her head up by massaging her temples.

The fact that those two were not even close to being the most dysfunctional of her family was depressing. Their father was… overbearing, to put it as politely as possible, while their mother was rarely there, cognitively or otherwise. Weiss couldn’t remember the last time she had seen her mother “dried out” or her father happy about something other than stock gains.

And though she loved and respected her sister, she regrettably could not say the same about her brother.

Whitley was just generally an embarrassment. The fact that he deluded himself into thinking that he deserved to inherit the company was beyond frustrating.

Both she and Winter knew that he barely attended his undergraduate classes, and they had caught him paying people to complete his coursework for him on multiple occasions. But their father either refused to acknowledge the proof or dismissed his misdeeds and lack of work ethic as somehow inconsequential.

Weiss ground her jaw as she pulled out her textbook. Their father’s favoritism often befuddled her, and made her question if all her hard work was even noticed, or worth the effort if Whitley was allowed to get away with whatever he pleased.

She would have given up on her dream of inheriting the company and let her sister take over, but she had more than once questioned Winter’s commitment and desire. Sometimes it felt like her sister only wanted the company out of spite for their father and Whitley.

One heavy sigh later she hit the play button on her laptop to restart her music, before clicking on her paper for Professor Peach.

Winter was extremely capable and an undeniable asset to her division in the company. But her lack of diplomacy and temper had lost the Schnee Energy Conglomerate important contracts on more than one occasion.

Weiss, on the other hand, had tried to take the high road to prove herself as the most fitting heir. She despised the squables that Winter and Whitley got into more than their father. It had always been Weiss’s hope that her lack of infighting, multiple degrees, and sacrifice would help her win his final approval.

All her life she had planned and assessed what the most correct path to success might be. She had studied business, marketing, accounting, and law at one of the most renowned universities. Getting degrees in the former two had been easy, and she was at the top of her class in the latter.

On paper Weiss was the perfect heir for their company. She had worked, planned, and conformed to their father’s wishes in nearly every way.

She was perfect.

Well, almost perfect. Her resolve faltered as an old memory resurfaced and filled her with regret. She had only ever made _one_ miscalculation in her bid for the company, and since that day she had stayed completely focused on proving herself.

Weiss shook her head, and set doubts aside as she started working on her assignment. There was simply no time for distractions, especially not for a Schnee.

 

* * *

 

 

Weiss rubbed her face to try and recover some of her energy. It had gotten a little late, but she was painfully close to finishing her paper for Professor Peach.

Her fatigue was wearing on her comfort level, so she unbuttoned and rolled back the sleeves of her white dress shirt. Then undid another button near her collar, in hopes that more air on her skin would wake her senses.

One resolute breath later Weiss tapped at her screen to wake her similarly fatigued computer. She made good progress until her phone started to incessantly vibrate next to her.

She picked up the device, then nearly dropped it upon realizing who it was.

**_Father?! What could he want at such a late hour?_ **

Nerves on edge, she frantically searched for a place to take the call. Her eyes locked onto an empty study room, and she dashed to it as she put the phone up to her ear.

“Weiss I have gathered your siblings and called you, because I have come to a decision that will affect all of you,” her father stated with authority and absolutely no pleasantry.  

She held her breath as her mind tried to piece together what it was that he was about to share. Anxiety filled her at the thought that this might be the long awaited announcement of their inheritance. Weiss had always assumed that their father would at least wait until Whitley had finished his undergraduate degree, but then again it was hard to predict anything their father did with any certainty.

“In the past few months the infighting in this house has become completely unbearable.” Weiss could practically see the scowl their father was giving Winter and Whitley. “I had hoped that I could wait until you were all at least twenty-five to name the future successor of the company,” There was a pause, followed by a vexed edge in their father’s voice, “but it seems that if I want any peace I will need to restructure my timeline and amend my decision making criterion.”

Weiss waited with baited breath, she knew that the next words out of his mouth would govern her path forward.

“You will all have nine months to create a profitable business of your _own_ making. I will not help or fund any of you. This is something you must accomplish using your personal skills and resources. The most profitable and successful business will earn the winner the right to run the Schnee Energy Conglomerate, when I retire,” he pointedly added. “Only then will I officially and legally name an heir.”

There was an uncomfortably long break before he continued. “I suggest you all focus your energies on this endeavor,” then he growled, “instead of each other.”

“What about-” Whitley’s nettling voice asked, before being shut down.

“My lawyers will have the details of the competition sent to you within the next business day. That is all, and good night to _everyone_ ,” he ended.

Weiss heard a click at the call being disconnected. She stared at her phone until its screen went black.

**_This is it. This… will decide my entire future._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone intrigued so far? I'm going to try to sneak in a few surprises, and full circle moments by the end to keep everyone on their toes. Hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter!
> 
>  **Playlist**  
>  Scene 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjF2_-bneM  
> Scene 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oLLRSm8XaM  
> Scene 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLQ6KJfkFdQ&index=3&list=RD8oLLRSm8XaM


	2. Strike Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frustration is an understatement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much editing *falls over*  
> Hope you like it *thumbs up from the floor*
> 
> Playlist at the bottom for each scene.

****“No, no, no!” Weiss snarled and threw another balled up piece of paper to join the small but growing pile on the floor, “That is completely infeasible.”

She sat up straight, closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath.

 **_It has been over a_ ** **week** **_, and I haven’t come up with anything usable._ **

Weiss’s brow knitted together as she tried to calm her turbulent thoughts.

**_There are plenty of options, just calm down and pick one._ **

But that was easier said than done. Her biggest obstacle was actually the competition’s time limit; nine months was such an odd span to work with. Any longer and she could pull together any number of businesses, despite her relatively meager resources. It was the time limit that made eighty percent of her prospects extremely risky, if not unworkable.

It took time to set up and establish a business. First was the struggle of breaking into an existing market, then there was the time it took to find, hire, and train employees. Not to mention that most businesses had such a high start up cost and slow return that most business barely broke even their first year.

Weiss’s pen hit the side of the pad harder as her frustration grew.

When  factors like building and sustaining inventory, advertising, and potential production issues were added in, the whole equation started to have far too many parts and unknowns to maintain mentally.

So many of her options were well within her capabilities, but the fact of the matter was that even in the best circumstances they would require more time than was allowed to grow her business into something profitable. Her other ideas and options had their downsides too. Most would demand more of a daily time commitment than she could afford while finishing her last year of law school.

She stopped tapping her pen and forced herself to put something down on the paper, deciding to write down potential online businesses. An online company was an option that could afford her flexibility, because quitting law school certainly wasn’t on the table. She knew she could do both.

Half a page of ideas later she stopped.

As she reviewed the list her disappointment and ire rose. Half of her ideas would require a programmer. Which was a huge problem, because she didn’t know any that weren’t already swamped with classwork or who didn’t already have an extremely well paying full time job.

Another quarter of the list required a new or innovative product to sell. So nevermind the fact that she didn’t have a creative bone in her body for such things, let alone where she would manage to find the time to produce products herself.

Weiss ripped the sheet from the pad and threw it down to join its fallen comrades on the floor. She then tossed her legal pad on the table and watched with contempt as the blank pages slid across the wooden surface.

The nervous irritable energy inside of her made Weiss feel like she was going to explode.

She stood up and walked a few steps to their living room. Her eyes looked down on the orange flames of their gas fireplace as she tried to regroup her thoughts.

Internet companies were such a huge risk. They could definitely make a sizable amount of money in a short amount of time, but most quick start ups were fad based. Within six months the business could boom and bust.

Her vision focused in on the blue base of one of the flames. That didn’t even take into account the huge failure rate that such companies had. It was difficult to predict a market as volatile and ever shifting as the internet without spending considerable time and resources on researching current trends and accurately forecasting what people would want next.

**_Ugh, why did he choose such an obscure time limit? Time is the one thing I don’t have!_ **

Of course it was then that the ticking of the clock in the kitchen made its presence known. Weiss clenched her fists as she tried to block it out and think, but the harder she tried to ignore it the louder and more mocking its persistent prattle became.

A growl grew in her throat as her eyes flew open. Her neck snapped to the left as she glared at the round, bronze rimmed noise machine in the adjoining room. It’s metronome like sound echoing off the tile floor and stone countertops with what felt like an impossible level of sound.

For a brief moment she fantasized about destroying the clock, but knew that doing so would only infuriate her roommate. So she rejected the potentially violent, if not extremely satisfying, measure.

Instead, she stomped past the couch and back to their dining room table to retrieve her earbuds from her satchel. A few taps and swipes later and her frayed nerves started to mend. The deep soothing tones of a cello’s counter melody brought her the calm she so desperately needed.

It was true that her home city of Atlas was conservative and culturally bland in many ways, but music was not one of them. The entrance of the violin’s rapid driving refrain pulled energy and willpower back into her exhausted mind. A long strained breath escaped her, and she opened her eyes again.

Weiss knew that her addled mind needed to reset or she would never be able to produce anything worthwhile. She looked at the ticking clock in the kitchen and smirked at no longer being able to hear it. Then decided to get something to drink.

But her small victory over the clock felt hallow when she opened the refrigerator.

Despite the fact that she and her roommate both knew how to cook, it was an extraordinarily rare occurrence. She and Blake being law students meant that neither of them usually had the time or energy to cook.

**_Time, I never have enough time for anything._ **

Weiss looked past the wide assortment of condiments, smattering of take-away boxes, and random array of alcoholic beverages for something to drink. She spotted a carton of milk, but then quickly retracted her hand when she saw how far past the expiration date it was. Next she eyed a liter of soda, but recalled that it was over a month old and had to be flat after living in their sad refrigerator for so long.

She let out a heavy, disappointed sigh as she closed the door to the fridge.

**_Water it is._ **

As her glass slowly filled from the filtered tap on the sink Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose.

**_Why did I think working at home would turn out any better than my past three attempts at the library?_ **

A stern frown marked her face as she wandered out of their small galley kitchen and back into the apartment's large open living space. She briefly considered sitting on the couch instead of returning to the table on the other side of the room, but a quick glance at all of her discarded ideas on the floor in between the two areas told her that the minor change in location wasn’t going to help.

She stoically returned to her previous workspace, full of self-hate.

**_I am so utterly worthless at developing ideas on my own._ **

As self-deprecating as Weiss knew she was being, there was an element of truth to her inner chiding. She had always assumed that she would be taking over a business that had been established for over a generation; so in her six years of study at Beacon, she had never put energy into learning the skills of creative thinking or innovation.

After her prolonged sulk, she let out a resigned growl and leaned across the table to grab her discarded notepad. She quickly started to list out retail store ideas, but within a minute realized that it was a list she had produced and rejected three times in the last week.

Weiss morosely sunk against the wood slatted back of her chair; she felt defeated.

**_What on Remnant made me think that I would ever be good enough to run the Schnee Energy Conglomerate? I can’t even pick or come up with one substantially sound idea. I have less than nine months left, my final year of law school to complete, and not a single creative bone in my body!_ **

She angrily pulled her headphones out of her ears.

When she did, she was quickly berated once again by the nettling beat of the kitchen clock. Each tick made the reality of her deadline all the more anxiety inducing.

If she didn’t decide on one of her terrible ideas soon, she would be left choking on her siblings’ dust.

Every movement of the second hand made her think of not only the loss of the future she had worked her entire life for, but that Whitley, of all people, might actually beat her.

Weiss dropped her legal pad back on the table and then let her head hang off of the back of her chair, not caring how uncomfortably the wood dug into the back of her neck.

 **_There are just too many options and variables._ ** **_Online, brick and mortar, service based, product based, inventory, employees, apps, media production, permits, leases, varying start up costs..._ **

A knot of anxiety and sadness grew in her throat.

**_I am so worthless._ **

She sat with her morose thoughts until the sound of the lock to their front door being turned broke her free of her self induced torture. She quickly grabbed her pad and sat up in an attempt to look busy and avoid her roommate’s gaze.

When she heard Blake drop her bag near the couch, Weiss did her best to feign productivity.

A second later, out of the corner of her eye, Weiss saw her tall, dark-haired roommate nudge one of the discarded balls of paper with her foot.

An indifferent question hit Weiss’s ears a moment later, “No luck at home either I take it?”

Relinquishing her ruse of productivity, she sat her blank notepad back on the table. “What gave it away?” Weiss grumbled, no longer bothering to hide her deep seated frustration.

Blake frowned at the unfriendly retort. She folded her arms and leaned against the nearby wall, “You don’t have to put yourself through any of this. You are so well-versed and driven that you could get a job at any firm in the country when we graduate. But instead, you insist on torturing yourself for your father’s unattainable approval.”

She watched Blake’s visage darken as her roommate looked away in disappointment.

Silence sat on the air like an unliftable weight. It was the same tired argument that they had been having since _that_ day.

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and held in a deep sigh. As annoying as it was to have to justify her desire to inherit the family company, again, Weiss knew that Blake just wanted the best for her. It was actually why Blake was one of the only people Weiss had ever considered a friend. That and the fact that Blake somehow managed to put up with her.

“I don’t-,” Weiss stated sharply, but then stopped to take the ire out of her words, “I don’t want to get into it right now. You know that this is my best chance at attaining the right to take over. If I win, it won’t matter if Whitley is the favorite or that Winter already works in the higher branches of the company. There will be a legally binding document that names me as my father’s successor.”

Blake rolled her eyes then kicked off the wall to approach the table. She casually bent forward to rest her forearms against the back of the chair that faced Weiss and apathetically added, “And all of that hinges on whether or not you can create and run a more successful business than your siblings while you finish law school.” Golden eyes that knew her so well pierced Weiss’s confidence, “It feels like you are putting more on yourself than any one person is physically capable of.”

Weiss turned away from her friend’s scrutinizing gaze and pushed back with false bravado, “Well, it is a good thing I am a Schnee then. Exceeding expectations is what I have been taught to do from birth.”

She chanced a looked to check her friend’s reaction and was met with a small knowing smirk, “So then, regale me with your ingenious business plan already.”

Panic and irritation welled inside of Weiss. They both knew that she didn’t have anything, but that didn’t stop her from trying to hold up appearances, “I have many prospects to choose from, I am still determining which is the most viable.”

“Run them by me then,” Blake pulled out the chair she had been leaning on and sat down, “maybe I can help.”

**_Dammit, why does she always have to call my bluff?_ **

It took a moment but Weiss finally let go of her sensitive pride with an obligatory eye roll, “I still don’t actually have anything of substance.”

Having completed their, dance Blake’s tone softened, “I have been trying to tell you for days now that you need a break.” A soft smirk touched her friend’s lips, “I know it is customary for you to ignore my advice, but you should listen to me this time. You need to walk away long enough to calm down and clear your mind. Or you will never come up with an idea.”

Weiss narrowed her eyes and apathetically asked, “What in the nearly three years that we have known each other makes you think that I have the ability to take a break, let alone relax?”

Blake sat back and let out a quiet laugh, “While that is true, it doesn’t change the fact that you need a distraction. And I happen to know from experience that I can usually get you to go out for a drink with me. So,” Blake crossed her arms and smiled, “you and I both know there is no edible food in this house. I’ll give you an hour to get ready and then I am dragging you out for dinner and then to a bar to unwind.”

She looked at her friend for a long moment, but then let go of the tension she had been holding in, ”You win this round Belladonna.”

 

* * *

 

“Hey blondie,” the twenty something frat boy called out to her in a smarmy tone.

Yang took a deep breath in and reminded herself that tips were the only way she was able to save back up for school.

The tall blond plastered a fake smile across her face and turned around, “Hey yourself, what can I get for you tonight?”

A leering smirk spread across the face of the creep that was clearly checking out her cleavage. It wasn’t like she minded when people looked, after all she had decided how few buttons to use. It was all about how he looked that made her skin crawl.

His eyebrow raised, and she just knew that he was contemplating how gross he wanted his answer to be.

**_It is eight o’clock on a Sunday night, why doesn’t this slimeball have some other place to be?_ **

An uncomfortable second later he had tired of looking at her chest. His blue eyes narrowed in a predatory way before he answered, “Well I’m sure a girl like you could get me plenty of things, but how about we take things slow and start with a beer.”

She managed to keep something close to smile on her face, as she pointed to the chalkboard full of local draft beers above her, “Well we have a few of those to choose from, so why don’t you decide while I check your ID?”

He frowned, but pulled out his wallet and forked over his identification, “The guy at the door already checked it.”

As Yang grabbed for the card he held on, apparently not willing to let go without one last chauvinist comment, “Just so you know, that still has my old address on it. So don’t think that you can follow me around like a crazy ex.” He eyed her, “At least not until after we sleep together.”

Yang jerked the ID out of his hand, and after seeing that he was old enough, commited his name to memory.

**_Cardin Winchester. Definitely adding that to the our list of sleazy customers to keep an eye out for. I’ll have to let Yatsuhashi know not to let him in next time. What a complete fuck head._ **

She handed the card back to him no longer giving a shit about being polite, “So, which beer are you going to have? The line behind you is starting to back up.”

He scowled at her tone and Yang found it hard not to smile. “All those beers are too girly, just give me a double whiskey on the rocks instead.” Cardin gave her one last leering smirk, “I like my drinks to be hard and stiff.”

Normally she would have asked what brand he wanted, but he was pulling at her absolute last nerve. So instead she grabbed a glass and their bottom shelf whisky without looking as she smiled brightly at him, “I think I see what you are getting at now. If you are looking to find a guy, then it sounds like you should come back on Thursdays.”

The shocked look on his face was everything, “That’s not what I said, I’m not some ho-”

“Relax dude, only a complete asshole would judge someone based on their sexuality,” she slid him his drink with a smirk. Then she held out her hand, so that he knew it was time for him to pay and get the fuck out.

He narrowed his eyes and gave her his credit card, “Keep it open.”

Yang barely managed to suppress a groan of disappointment.

Cardin took a hit off his drink, “I don’t plan on leaving until I have a  _girl_ to take home.”

Yang gritted her teeth. Having such an asshat hang around all night was at the absolute bottom of her list of how she wanted her shift to go.

Thankfully, when she turned back around from putting his order in the system he had disappeared into the crowd.The line behind him actually had been getting long, and she was happy to have a distraction to get her mind off of the unfortunate encounter.

It was busy, but wasn’t anything she hadn’t handled a hundred times before. Knowing that Sage was scheduled to come in soon made the rush easier to manage.

But after her fourteenth straight customer, fatigue started to hit her. She shook her head as she waited for the tap to run clean, this was her twelfth shift without a day off.

Her shoulders sank a little, being so overworked wasn’t anyone's doing but her own. She always asked or offered to take extra shifts for people, so she didn’t have any room to complain or feel sorry for herself.

It wasn’t like she had anything better to do with her time anyhow. Since she had been kicked out of culinary school, she had spent all of her time working. If she ever wanted to be able to afford her way back in she needed the money.

Yang plastered another saccharine smile on her face as she handed a drink to the customer she was helping. Bartending at a university bar was a far cry from her goal of having her own restaurant; but sadly, without a degree and some serious connections, that dream seemed like a total fantasy.

As she bussed the empty drinks at the bar, Yang let out a somber sigh; the best she could reasonably hope for was that she would only have to work for another year before she could return to school.

Her hand reflexively clenched as her anxiety grew. Everything hinged on her not messing up a second time. She had gone from being near the top of her class for two years to flunking out during her last year. It had been utterly humiliating. So much so, that sometimes she questioned if she really wanted to go back. Especially when considering that it was more financially sound to work as a bartender after she graduated then working as a junior or even a line chef. Add onto that the burden of her ridiculous student loans, and it was a pretty bleak outcome no matter what she decided to do.

Yang started to pour a vodka cranberry for a girl that must have been just old enough to get in. She was laughing at her two friends behind her that were arguing over what they should get. The scene made Yang smile a little.

It truthfully wasn’t that terrible being a bartender. Guys like Cardin were an unfortunate reality, but the place she worked at was pretty nice for a college hang out. Plus, their bouncers were good at keeping the jerks out once they knew who they were.

She smirked; most guys took one look at their two meters plus bouncer, Yatsu, and decided that arguing with him about not being able to come in was not worth the pain he could easily inflict upon them. At that she took a second to look up to see how the line at the door was doing.

When she did, she felt herself pause. The two women that walked past Yatsu were so good looking that Yang couldn’t take her eyes off of them.

There was a tall, dark-haired woman that wore high black boots, tight jeans, and a baggy, well worn t-shirt from one of the local rock bands that had played at their bar before. Her outfit, dark purple eye makeup, and flat expression made it clear that she was the exact opposite of the bubbly girls Yang had just served drinks to.

Without a doubt, it was a smoking hot look on the woman, but truthfully is was her shorter friend that stood next to her that really caught Yang’s attention.

Her white-haired companion might have been a good bit smaller than her friend, but Yang had a feeling she more than made up for that in other areas. Her starched and tailored blue dress shirt, form-fitting pinstripe skirt, and high heels set her apart from the rest of the crowd instantly.

From her gorgeously toned legs to her sharp features and long silky pulled back hair, the woman was simply stunning. Though it was the shorter woman’s expression that really caught Yang’s eye.

It was hard to capture in words, but there was something about the way she smiled that drew Yang in. At first glance it had looked like a condescending smirk towards her friend, but the way the smile touched her light blue eyes gave away a hidden warmth and amusement.

The longer Yang looked at her, the more intrigued she became. The woman was perfectly dressed and composed, but tiny things like the way she smiled, her polar opposite friend, or the mark over her eye gave the woman an air of mystery and imperfection.

Despite her rational mind telling her that she should stop staring, Yang was positively entranced. She wanted to know mo-

“Hey, can I get another rum and diet cola,” asked a skinny blonde girl who had magically appeared in front of her.

“Sure,” Yang laughed as she tired to ignore the fact that her pulse had quickened. Not to mention the dumb grin she knew had to be on her face. She shook her head with a quiet laugh and handed the girl her drink, “Sorry about the wait.”

The twenty something took the drink with a smile, “It’s okay,” she sucked on the straw before adding, “you are really cute, so I don’t mind.” She then slid Yang ten lien for the drink, “Keep it.”

Yang grinned as the girl rushed back to her giggling girlfriends and turned to help another person at the bar.

**_Money is definitely an upside of this job, but-_ **

She spotted the two women from before looking for an open seat at the bar.

**_-serving drinks to gorgeous women is hardly a bad way to spend a night._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The stage is set... I wonder if you can guess what will happen next? Hehehe.
> 
> Music  
> Scene 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4xVOhVX8T4  
> and/or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ufe2JtYqZI  
> Scene 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXKnccELMy0


	3. A Distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it is just more rewarding to throw caution to the wind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it has been so long, hope it was worth the wait.

 

As the ridiculously tall doorman handed back their IDs, Weiss couldn’t help but wonder what sort of bar Blake had decided to drag her to this time.

When they stepped in she immediately started to scan her surroundings; Blake had more than once fooled her into going to establishments that were… less than desirable. To her left, through the crowd of people, she saw a room that was comprised of a few pool tables and other bar games. Most of which were populated by the more “Bro”-centric crowd.

Weiss raised her voice a little to get over the din of the crowd and the background music, “So I take it you come here for the company.” She smirked as she kept her gaze on the game room, “They all look like just your type.”

Blake followed her gaze to the room on the left , then rolled her eyes. “No,” she nodded to the room on the right, “I occasionally come here for that.”

Even in her heels Weiss struggled to see past the crowd, but after a small group passed she was able to see an area full of high top tables. Weiss wondered what Blake was referring to so she looked closer, when she did she could just barely make out a small raised platform.

The hair on her neck rose as she realized it was a stage.

“Don’t worry,” her roommate grinned, “there isn’t any live music tonight.”

The anxiety that Weiss had been holding in quickly evaporated, and she let out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t that she hated live music, but it made conversation in places like this virtually impossible. Not to mention, her and Blake’s preferences in music were rarely compatible.

Having looked over the packed side rooms Blake started to move towards the bar in front of them. From what Weiss could see she wasn’t optimistic about their chances. There were a few occupied tables scattered here and there, a line of people waiting to order drinks off to the left of the bar, and only a couple of single seats open at the bar.

Before Weiss could voice her opinion Blake pulled on her arm with a smirk. A few seconds later they were seated at the far right side of the bar at the very back.

Her roommate smiled at her as they sat down, “This has got to be one of the quietest spots in the whole place. And don’t worry, it is busy now, but it’s a Sunday night without any live music.This place will thin out soon.”

Weiss took in a deep breath and looked at her surroundings once more. She let out a reluctant sigh, “Fine. It isn’t as bad as some of the places you have conned me into going.”

Blake opened her mouth to comment, but instead turned when a well built bartender with a sparsely buttoned undershirt and an open dark green waistcoat walked up to them.

“Welcome,” the green haired man smiled at them, “my name is Sage. What can get for my first customers of the night?”

Without hesitating Blake responded, “I will have a dark and stormy and my friend will have a gin martini, dirty and wet, with three olives.”

Weiss raised an unamused eyebrow at her friend before commenting. “You don’t know that was what I was going to order.” She scowled, “And, that isn’t how you say it.”

A satisfied smirk spread across her roommate’s face, “I do know that is what you want, because it is the only thing you ever order at a new bar. To quote, ‘it is hard to make a poor martini, but very telling when you find a good one.’ As for as how I ordered it,” Blake snickered, “I know.”

Their patient bartender smiled politely, “Well our martinis are pretty good, but I happen to think that the other bartender here makes an exceptional one.” His smile widened, “In fact, if you don’t love it, I’ll buy the first one for you.”

Weiss looked past him to glimpse who this other person he was referring to was, and when she did her eyebrows raised with curiosity.

At first she couldn’t get a good look at the woman on the opposite end of the bar, other than a curvy form in tight black jeans and a mass of blond hair. But less then a second later the woman turned her head as she laughed at something the person she was helping had said.

Before Weiss could get a good look she averted her gaze; the backside of the other bartender had been tempting enough. Eyeing attractive women that she could not have was not the distraction she was looking for. Plus, she knew that if she got caught staring Blake would never let her hear the end of it.

Instead, she turned her focus back to their current bartender and gave him a courteous smile, “When you put it that way, it sounds like I can’t possibly lose. Thank you.”

As he walked away, Blake openly eyed the man, and it certainly wasn’t his green filigree vest that she was admiring.

Weiss rolled her eyes, but even she couldn’t deny how well the look worked for him. On anyone else it would have had a disheveled appearance, but his features and physique were that of a model. So he actually appeared as if he had stepped off the cover of one of Blake’s romance novels.

“Are you sure it’s the live music you come here for?” She asked her friend with jovial bemusement.

Blake didn’t even bother to look back, “The view here is always good.” She eventually turned back in her seat and smirked at Weiss, “I may have brought you here for more than conversation.”

An unamused scowl marked Weiss’s face at the answer.

Her roommate rolled her eyes to show that she had been kidding, “This place actually has really good drinks.” She returned her gaze to the two bartenders with a lascivious smile, “Though I’ll admit the two bartenders tonight are exceptionally good looking.”

Weiss knew what her friend was trying to accomplish with their current line of conversation, so for her own sake she decided to change the topic, “I’ve been so busy lately that we haven’t had a chance to debrief each other on our classes. How are you finding contract law? I heard Professor Everthorn was teaching it this semester.”

The look Blake gave her indicated that her friend knew exactly why Weiss had changed the subject. Her roommate went along with the sudden transition anyhow.

“Right now we have a paper due on creator rights.” Blake frowned, “It is pretty infuriating actually. The number of protection clauses that have to be included for the originator to maintain integrity rights is ridiculous. Even then it is disturbing how often their court cases are thrown out and their ideas are stripped and unrecognizably changed without consent. It borders on morally objectionable.”

She looked at her friend with more than a little side eye, “I know you are studying Civil Rights Law, but do you always have to find indignation around every corner? Those people are selling what they created. If they didn’t want their product to be changed then they should not bother coming to the bargaining table. No one is making them sell.”

A raised eyebrow was all Weiss got for a long second, “You of all people know that is patently untrue. Big corporations constantly create hostile markets to force small, promising competitors to sell out.”

“Oh please,” Weiss fired back, “You make it sound like every corporation has some big scary boogie man pulling it’s strings. There are monopoly laws in place that protect small business. You are simply evading the main issue with useless emotion.” She tapped her finger pointedly on the bar, “If a corporation wants to make money off of an idea or product then they need to be able to modify said item to make it more profitable.”

She sat back and folded her arms, “Free trade demands less restrictions, not more. As soon as you start putting clause after clause into a contract it devalues the sale and limits how a company can produce and see returns on what they bought.”

Her roommate turned to mirrored her position, but raised a righteous eyebrow as she spoke, “It is easy to say things are fair when you are always on the side with the power, money, and privilege.” Blake shot her a challenging look, “From your tone it sounds like you would be shocked at how often the Schnee Energy Conglomerate is brought up in class as an example of how corporations buy smaller competitors for the sole purpose of completely stripping them into non-existence. What does your father have against renewable energy anyhow?” Blake jibbed.

Weiss couldn’t deny that her own father was the perfect example of an unscrupulous corporate head. It was why she often felt a desire to take over. She was about to counter with a court ruling from a few years back in Vacuo, but her momentum was interrupted by the return of their bartender.

“Here were go ladies,” their model like bartender opened, “One dark and stormy and one dirty gin martini, wet with three olives.”

Blake quickly handed him her card, “Keep it open, please.”

“Absolutely,” he responded with a golden eyed smile, “Enjoy.”

The second he was out of earshot Weiss protested with a frown, “You already got dinner, you can’t buy the drinks too.”

A smile spread across her friend’s face, “If I let you pay we will have two drinks and be out of here in under two hours. You need a real break. So, as your roommate,” Blake playfully narrowed her eyes, “who is growing increasingly worried as to what state the apartment will be in if you don’t have a breakthrough soon. I insist that you let me preempt the total Schnee meltdown I see on the horizon.” She stirred her drink before lifting it, “So here’s to a much needed night out.”

It was often infuriating how well Blake knew her, but moments like this made her remember exactly why she was so fond of her friend. Neither of them were what could be considered maternal, but almost since the moment they met they had looked out for each other.

She offered her friend an appreciative smirk and lifted her glass to Blake’s.

When Weiss took the first sip of her martini, her eyes opened wide in surprise.

“Bad?” Blake asked when she saw her expression.

“No,” Weiss answered, still a little shocked, “It’s actually fantastic.” She looked down at her glass as if it might somehow reveal it’s delicious secrets, “The only person who has ever made me a martini this good is Klein. Which is understandable, considering how often he has to make them for mother.”

A grin touched her roommate’s lips before she took another sip of her own drink, “Told you.”

Weiss set down her drink and feigned interested in her skewer of olives. What she was really interested in was the woman that had made her the martini.

She waited until Blake looked preoccupied with her own drink to steal a glance towards her mystery bartender, and found herself completely unprepared to see such a gorgeously tempting woman.

The blond’s white button up shirt was neatly rolled to her elbows, though the same care hadn’t seemed to have been taken with the buttons up the center of her shirt. A good number of them had been left undone at the top. Weiss tried to avoid staring at the woman’s cleavage, but the pointed silver and purple pendant around the woman’s neck seem to unabashedly draw Weiss’s eyes downward.

It had admittedly been more months than she cared to count since her last dalliance, but now she fully understood why Blake had stared so shamelessly before.

Weiss bit the inside of her lip as thoughts, quite unbefitting for a public setting, started to cross her mind. If the woman hadn’t turned away to grab a glass Weiss might have been lost to her promiscuous imagination indefinitely.

Her rational mind told her to turn away, but before she could she saw the blond bend down to grab an item from the bottom shelf. Weiss found herself pointedly staring at _not_ the purple sash that was tucked into the woman’s belt as her mouth hung open.

“Told you,” Blake uttered smuggly.

The taunting tone of her friend was the only thing that allowed Weiss to finally pry her eyes away. For her trouble, she was met with a know-it-all smirk.

Weiss tried to keep her cheeks from burning, but she had been so thoroughly caught that it seemed pointless to even try. “You-” she started. “I didn’t mean- I was just trying to…”

Blake’s grin only grew wider.

“I really hate you sometimes,” Weiss relented before taking a very long sip of her drink.

“No you don’t,” her friend answered. “You just hate how long it has been since you got any.”

“How cordial of you to distract me from one frustration by pointing out another,” Weiss growled before nearly downing the rest of her drink.

A snicker escaped her friend before she offered a pseudo plaction, “Well I recall that our earlier debate was cut short, we could continue our discussion.” Blake lowered her voice and leveled her golden eyes on Weiss, “Unless you want to concede.”

Weiss raised her skewer of olives, “In your dreams Belladonna,” then pointedly dispatched the first one.  

 

* * *

 

 

Weiss absently played with the empty skewer of her second martini as she listened to Blake present yet another liberally based argument about workers’ rights. She was paying attention to her roommate’s opening rational and had her rebuttal all but formed.

That was until she saw the hot blond bartender reached up to grab a bottle off the top shelf of the back bar.

The bottom buttons of the woman’s dress shirt that hadn’t been fastened showed off one of the most a tantalizingly sculpted stomachs that Weiss had ever seen. It made her run her tongue over her teeth as she pined for a woman she hadn’t spoken a word to.

**_It makes me want to pry that gold belt buckle off with m-_ **

“Are you hoping that if you stare hard enough her clothes will just fly off?” Blake interrupted her train of thought.

Weiss froze, and then covered her face with her hand in shame. “I am so sorry. I don’t know what is wrong with me.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before continuing, “You were talking about compensation margins and the equitable distribution of-”

“Weiss, you are allowed to be attracted to people.” Blake sighed, “I know you don’t want my opinion... but you should go for it.”

“You, better than anyone,” she scowled,”know that I don’t have the luxury of having a girlfriend.”

Blake gave her a sly smirk, “Who said anything about a girlfriend?”

As much as Weiss wanted to pretend to be scandalized she couldn’t. Her thoughts had been adjacent to what her friend was implying for more than an hour. She let her gaze wander back to the ridiculously hot blond and for the first time that night the woman caught her looking.

The blond smiled back at her and Weiss felt her cheeks redden. A second later someone walked up to the other side of the bar and the gorgeous bartender turned away.

Blake whispers in her ear, “She has been checking you out almost as much as you have been staring.”

Weiss found that information to be both intriguing and painfully unhelpful. Blake taunted her one more time before leaning back into her own seat, “Plus, aren’t you due for one of your biannual one night stands?”

She turned positively scarlet and slapped her friend’s arm, “You are beyond incorrigible.”

Looking completely unremorseful Blake shrugged, “You need a distraction,” her roommate eyed the woman shamelessly, “and she looks like she would be a fantastic one.”

Before Weiss could chastise Blake about her ‘dating’ choices her friend stood up.

“Where are you going?” Weiss inquired.

“The bathroom,” Blake called out as she walked away.

Weiss glared at her friend’s back as she watched her flee from their conversation. She turned back with a frown and then remorsefully appraised her empty drink for a long moment.

She looked up with a sigh only to find the blond bartender looking at her. Weiss knew she should look away, but, something inside made her smile back at the dangerously attractive woman instead.

The second the blond started to walk over Weiss regretted her choices.

“It looks like Sage is busy,” the woman smiled at her, and Weiss couldn’t help but look into the blond’s beautiful lavender eyes, “I can make you another drink so you don’t have to wait.”

Weiss pulled desperately at her will to not sound like a complete idiot, “That would be wonderful, thank you.”

“Another drink for your girlfriend as well?” the blond asked.

The question took Weiss so off guard that she laughed, “She is not my girlfriend.” Weiss couldn’t hold back an amused smirk, “We argue enough as it is, sleeping with her would just make her that much more impossible to live with.”

“Well,” the blond smiled, “from where I stand it seems like her loss.”

Weiss fought not to blush. The woman was so gorgeous that it made her want things that she knew she shouldn’t and couldn’t afford to want.

The woman grinned at her, “You know I can make more than a standard martini.”

“Oh,” Weiss smiled mischievously, “then maybe I should let you regale me with your skill.”

**_What are you thinking you dolt?! Stop flirting!_ **

The blond briefly looked at her in a way that made Weiss grateful that she was sitting down, but then flashed her a sincere smile, “Are you okay with letting me surprise you?”

She had a lot of answers to that question, but managed to get out something respectable instead, “Absolutely.”

“Coming right up then,” the woman gave her a wink and walked away.

Weiss bit the inside of her lip and let out a pained groan. She knew it was a terrible idea to be flirting with her soul crushingly hot bartender, but without Blake there as a buffer she hadn’t been able to stop herself. She even outed herself and eliminated Blake as an obstacle.

**_Blake had better get back soon. That woman might actually be too attractive to say no to._ **

 

* * *

 

Yang grabbed a metal shaker glass and snuck another look at the elegant white haired woman. She smiled as she leaned down to open one of the side refrigerators under the bar.

**_She was flirting back._ **

She had been subtly observing the woman interact with her dark haired friend since they came in, but the woman still felt like a mystery begging to be solved.

Out of the corner of her eye Yang saw the mystery woman look out at the slowly thinning crowd with a small concerned frown.

The woman looked impossibly regal with her perfect posture and finely tailored blue shirt. Yang had seen and met a lot of people, but she had never ran across someone so reserved and proper that also wore their emotions so honestly.

A self conscious frown marked Yang’s face as she threw fresh rosemary and a slice of lime into the shaker.

**_She is impossibly out of my social league._ **

Yang muddled the herbs and citrus with a touch more force than was necessary as her self doubt started to build.

**_It is stupid to think I have a shot, she probably wasn’t even really flirting. It was probably just her trying to be polite._ **

She poured a jigger of gin into the shaker with a sigh.

**_The odds of someone like her actually being interested in someone like me are ridicul-_ **

Right as she was about to grab the last components for the drink, Yang heard a gratingly familiar voice behind her, “I’m going to buy this next drink for you, but only if you smile princess.”

Yang’s head whipped around and her fear was confirmed. Cardin, the sleaze ball from earlier, was hitting on the mystery woman.

“Hey,” a guy right in front of Yang pulled her focus away, “can I get another?”

“Sure, just a second,” Yang quickly answered.

She looked back just in time to see Cardin continue his pursuit, “No I said smile, not frown.” The auburn haired man-boy lean against the open chair next to the mystery woman, “it will help distract from that scar on your face.”

Anger started to grow inside of Yang. She was about to walk over and defuse the situation, but the glare the mystery woman leveled on Cardin was so cold that Yang stopped in her tracks.

Unsure of what was going to happen next she kept a close eye on the situation as she poured a beer for the guy who had interrupted her.

“I think you should leave now,” the woman answered in a low angry tone, “your presence is, to put it mildly, repellant.”

The mystery woman turned away from him, but Cardin was apparently too stupid and misogynistic to take the hint.

“Not until you tell me how a tiny thing like you got a scar like that,” then he reached out to touch her face.

Yang practically threw the beer she was pouring at the guy from before, and then turned to get to the other end of the bar.

But before she could Cardin was suddenly gone and there was a howl of pain coming from where he had been. Yang ran around the side of the bar to find the woman holding Cardin in a hand lock as she looked down her nose at him with disdain.

“Perhaps I was not clear before. Leave now,” she wrenched his hand a little more and he cried out, “Or else.”

Yang’s eyes were wide with surprise and she had to hold back a laugh as she saw the mystery woman give the asshole no less than he deserved.

After a long moment she let Cardin go but kept a ready eye on him.

He stayed on his knees and held his injured hand with the other as he winced in pain. But a second later Yang saw a look of violence in his eyes as he started to stand, “You bitch!”

Without thinking Yang grabbed his right arm and pulled it high and tight behind his back. When he started to struggle she grabbed his left shoulder with her free hand and tightened her grip. “

“I think you need to learn to listen,” Yang growled, “she said it is time for you to leave.”

Cardin struggled to get loose from her, but it wasn’t the first time she had needed to throw someone like him out. She turned him towards the door and quickly pushed him towards the exit.

“I didn’t do anything,” Cardin whined in anger as he tried to get away from her. “She was the one who attacked me.”

Yang pulled his arm higher.

“Ah,” he yelled out, “what’s your problem, you stupid whore!”

“My problem,” her voice came out harshly, “is that you are too fucking stupid to know why you are getting banned.” She shoved him hard as she passed the open front door of the bar.

He stumbled onto the sidewalk, but caught his balance. She glared at him, “You don’t touch people without consent asshole.”

When he stood up fully Cardin looked like he was going to make trouble, but as soon as he saw Yatsu move to stand next to her he took a step back.

She kept her eyes on him, but spoke loud enough to Yatsu so that the creep could hear, “Add Cardin Winchester to the banned list.”

Cardin gave her a murderous glare, but then threw up his hand as he turned to walk away, “Whatever, this place is a dump anyhow.”

“What happened?” Yatsu asked calmly.

She gave their bouncer the short version, and shook the rest of the adrenaline out of her system before walking back in.

Sadly guilt quickly took its place. She had known that Cardin was bad news when she first served him and she hadn’t done anything about it. When Yang saw the mystery woman facing away from the entrance she wanted to kick herself.

A deep frown grew on her face and she let out a sigh as she rounded the bar.      

“I’m so sorry I didn’t find a way to throw him out earlier.” Yang apologized with every ounce of sincerity she had, “I got a bad feeling about him when he first ordered and now I feel terrible that I didn’t get rid of him sooner.”

“It’s o-” The white hair woman started, but Yang couldn’t stop apologizing because she knew it _wasn’t_ okay.

Her eyebrows knitted together in frustration, “No, you never should have had to deal with someone like him.” Yang anxiously rubbed the back of her head, “Can I at least take care of the next few drinks for you? As an apology?”

A small smile touched the woman’s lips, and a moment later she answered, “Of course, but only if you stop apologizing. It isn’t the first time that I have had to deal with someone like him.”

Yang smirked, “No,” then she laughed, “I saw.”

Somehow the air between them lightened, and Yang felt herself let out an internal sigh of relief. She grinned at the mystery woman, “Let me go grab the drink I was making for you.”

Thankfully Sage hadn’t bused the shaker glass she had left behind. With a relieved sigh added the last ingredient, threw in some ice and capped the drink. The rest of her nerves were eased by giving the metal container a good shake.

After she had carefully strained the pale green liquid into the glass she took a thin slice of cucumber and speared it with a tiny sprig of rosemary. Then gently floated the lilypad garnish on the surface of the drink.

Yang smiled.

**_Hopefully this will help make up for things._ **

When she sat the drink down in front of the mystery woman Yang grinned at the inquisitive look on her face, “It is a cucumber and rosemary gin martini, and don’t worry,” Yang held up her hand with a smile, “if you don’t like it you can tell me and I will make you something else.”

The woman gingerly picked up the glass and gave the drink a quick sniff. Yang caught her smile just before she took the first sip.

A slight tinge of worry hit Yang as she waited.

The mystery woman shook her head and sat down the glass. Then she looked right at Yang and smiled, “That, is truthfully delicious. I can’t believe how well balanced you managed to make it.” The woman let out a quiet laugh, “But I think I am more surprised that my friend has kept an establishment with such exquisite drinks hidden from me.”

Yang rubbed the back of her head again and laughed, “Well, in fairness she probably didn’t know. That is one of my own creations; it isn’t exactly on our menu.”

A pleased grin marked the mystery woman’s face, “If that is the case,” she paused for just a second but Yang felt herself waiting for the woman’s next words, “then I can hardly wait to see what you concoct for me next.”

Yang looked into the woman’s icy blue eyes for a long moment before deciding how to respond. “You don’t seem like the type that is easy to impress,” she smirked, “but I think I have a few more possibilities up my sleeve.” She stood from where she had been leaning against the bar, then gestured to the half empty drink at her friend’s seat, “Still waiting?”

The mystery woman looked down at the half melted drink, and her eyes narrowed, “Yes.”

“No problem,” Yang smiled. She knew there was probably a line of people that Sage needed help with, but it was still hard to walk away from the gorgeous mystery woman.

As she helped with the backup of customers, Yang found herself thinking about how she could start up more conversation the woman at the other end of the bar between every customer.

After serving the last person she leaned against the back bar to take a short break. She scanned the crowd to see if anyone else needed help, and spotted the mystery woman texting on her phone.

“So,” Sage came and leaned against the counter with her, “How long are you going to wait before making a move?”

She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, “What?”

He simply nodded his head towards the mystery woman. Yang blushed and then frowned, “It’s not like that, she’s just a customer.”

Sage looked out into the crowd, “Uh huh.”

Yang rolled her eyes, “She just got hit on by a super sleazy guy, now is not the time.” Her friend didn’t respond and it made her feel anxious, “Sure, she is crazy hot, but then again she is crazy hot and like five levels out of my league. She should be in some fancy bar downtown, not slumming it here.”

He simply looked down at her.

“What,” she snapped.

Sage shook his head and gave her a barely perceptible smile. Then took two steps to the register and started tapping the screen. “I owe you for the last three shifts you picked up for me.” After that he walked away to help someone standing at the bar.

Curious as to what he had been doing she walked over to the screen to investigate. She pinched the bridge of her nose at seeing that he had transferred the mystery girl and her friend over to her account.

Meaning that she could no longer avoid the ridiculously hot mystery woman.

When she looked back at Sage he winked at her. Yang rolled her eyes but smiled. She still wasn’t sure about pursuing the woman, but she couldn’t deny that she appreciated the excuse to talk to her more.

Yang thought about how the woman and her friend had been debating as they drank, and it made her smile. They had been fervently trading jabs and arguments, but even from a distance Yang could tell that they were close and deeply respected each other. It made Yang want to know more. Everything about the woman, from her friend to the way she handled Cardin, seemed surprising and unique.

She scanned the bar again to see if she could buy more time to think before going over, but things had slowed down considerably. When Yang’s gaze reached the end of the bar she saw that the mystery woman looked pretty upset as she set her phone down.

Yang hesitated, but then saw that the woman’s glass was nearly empty already. As she walked over she reasoned that she at least had a good excuse for checking in.

“Is, uh, everything okay?” Yang asked, a bit worried.

The woman looked up at her a little surprised. “Yes and no,” she sighed.

Yang raised an eyebrow to indicate just how clear the statement had been.

“My roommate,” the woman tapped her phone in irritation with her index finger, “ditched me.”

“I get how that is the bad news,” she paused, “so then what’s the good news?”

A smirk touched the woman’s lips, but Yang could tell that it was laced with disappointment. Then the woman unlocked her phone and showed Yang the message from her friend.

**|Try again Blake. There is no line at the bathroom.|**

**|Fine, I did ditch you, but I left the tab open. Have a little fun for once. ;)**

**Just leave my card on the kitchen counter when you get back.|**

The mystery woman sighed as she set the phone back down, “Though that still doesn’t solve my transportation problem.”

“Well,” Yang responded without thinking, “my shift ends in a couple hours, I can keep you company and then take you home.”

The woman raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the remark and Yang suddenly realized how the woman might have taken what she said.

Yang’s eyes widened and she raised her hands, “Wait, that is not how I meant that.” She scrambled to find the right words, “What I meant was I can give you a ride home, not take you back to my place. I wasn’t trying to-”

She stopped talking when she heard a snicker from across the bar. The mystery woman grinned at her and suddenly Yang didn’t feel as nervous.

Instead she found herself smiling back as she said, “Let me try one more time. You are obviously very interesting and extremely beautiful. It would be my pleasure to keep you company for as long as you want while we sort out your problem.”

The woman looked at her for a very long time; her expression shifted from happy amusement to seemingly conflicted. Yang’s grip on the bar tightened as the woman held her gaze. She wanted the woman to stay, and from the way the woman bit her lip it felt like she wanted the same thing. But there was obviously something holding her back, and it made Yang start to doubt herself again.

Yang knew it was best not to push things if the woman was unsure, so she grabbed for the empty glass. She was about to make another recommendation when she felt the woman reach out and gently stop her hand from pulling away.

When she looked up, perfectly alluring blue eyes met hers.

“I’ll definitely want another drink if you are making it.” Then the woman smiled at her in a way that made it hard for Yang to swallow, “But having your company for the night sounds even better.”

 

* * *

  


Weiss felt her back hit the front door of the blond’s apartment, and she couldn’t have cared less. Kissing the woman was nothing short of intoxicating.

The taller woman leaned down to deepen their kiss and it felt like her lips must have contained electricity, because it sent a jolt of sensation and desire tingling through Weiss’s body.

Without thinking Weiss braced herself by touching the the strong waist she had admired earlier, and her touch elicited a growl of approval from the woman that made Weiss yearn to do so much more.

 _Just_ how badly she wanted the other woman momentarily cleared Weiss’s thoughts.

**_What am I doing?! I know better than to-_ **

The blond pulled her closer as they kissed and it forced Weiss’s hand higher. She felt her fingers brush the underside of the woman’s chest and her earlier thoughts evaporated as she let her hand inch higher.

She felt the blond’s hips grind into her, and it made a lust filled groan of want escape Weiss’s mouth.

**_Fuck it, I haven’t slept with anyone in ages._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And THAT is what happens when you try to neg Weiss Schnee!
> 
> I wonder if you guessed that THIS was how this chapter was going to end? : J I hope everyone is eager to see where I turn the story next.
> 
> Slacking on the songs... think bar background music???  
> But for the Scene with Cardin ~  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEjJtFm2wOU
> 
> See you next time and thanks so much for all the comments, believe it or not they really helped me come back to the story even while life was trying to keep me away from it.


	4. Unexpected Inspiration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes you get what you want, but you can't let yourself have what you need.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe read the Ending notes first....

 

Yang blindly fumbled to get her key in the lock as she refused to break away from the mysterious woman who was kissing her. Trial, error, and a few stumbled steps later they were in her apartment.

Though once inside their roles were quickly reversed and it was Yang who was being pressed against the door.

Things were going great, but after a few seconds she heard the woman grumble something under her breath about their height. The next thing Yang knew they were fully broken apart.

A hand kept Yang pressed against the door as the woman kicked off her heels. “I hope you are as strong as you look,” she smirked as she inched up her skirt.

Yang managed to catch her meaning, along with the woman, just in time. While she was light, the legs that quickly wrapped around Yang’s waist were a heavy distraction. Yang swallowed down the lust that flooded her brain to try and regain her composure.

But when she looked up she saw keen, wolfish eyes looking down on her from their new vantage point.

“Much better,” the mystery woman smiled before pulling Yang into a forceful kiss.

**_Who is she?_ **

Yang felt the woman’s hand snake into her hair and press against the back of her head. An instant later the woman’s tongue slipped into her mouth, and it made a hungry growl of desire escape Yang.

Truthfully, Yang didn’t know how much longer she could stand holding back. The want between them was overwhelming. As their kiss stretched on Yang felt frustrated at how full of need the lips against hers felt, while also having to endure the the light teasing touches of the woman’s tongue.

A small eternity later they finally broke apart, and Yang took in a long shallow breath. The mystery woman must have known the effect that she was having, because a pleased and playful smirk grew across her lips.

A second later she leaned down close to let her breath hit Yang’s ear, and then a spine tingling voice whispered, “While I’ve enjoyed my time at your door, I would much rather see the bedroom.”

Yang swallowed hard and prayed silently that she hadn’t left anything on the floor before she took her first tentative step towards her bedroom. A bit of relief washed over her when she didn’t instantly trip over any dirty laundry.

She was granted a better view when the woman craned her body to kiss Yang’s neck. But this quickly proved to be a double edged sword. While she could see where she was walking, the things the woman was doing to her neck were such a distracting turn on that it was a struggle to remember how walking worked.

Somehow, Yang managed to make it through her apartment and to her room. Upon which she decided to take back the initiative. She turned her head to catch the woman’s lips with her own. Then she squeezed the ass that she was holding onto as she pulled the woman into her.

Nails gently bit into the back of Yang’s head, and it caused a grin touch her lips.

Slowly Yang loosened her grip on the woman to let her down, but quickly resumed kissing her. She felt eager fingers start to work at the buttons of her shirt, but Yang no longer had any patience left. She leaned back enough to simply pull the shirt off over her head and toss it to the floor.

Yang was about to do the same for the woman in front of her, but then froze, “Wait, sorry.” She suddenly felt an like an ass, “I need to be sure that this is what you want. I was serving you drinks all night. I would never want to be the type of person that takes advantage of someone because they’ve had too much to drink.”

A smile touched the woman’s lips and she gently shook her head. An instant later Yang felt a firm push on her torso and she fell backwards onto the bed.

The woman walked up to the edge, “While your concern is sweet,” she undid the top button of her shirt, “my faculties are fine. Plus...”

Another button gone.

Yang felt her already racing pulse skip a beat.

“My roommate said I that I needed a distraction.”

Two more buttons were undone.

“To clear my head,” the woman finished as she undid the last button.

Her shirt hung open as she looked down at Yang with an icy, scrutinizing gaze and a sly smirk that sent a chill down Yang’s spine.

“And I am confident that you will be that and a good bit more,” she said as her eyes made their way up Yang’s body.

Yang swallowed hard as she was left to stare at the gorgeous and mysterious woman standing at the foot of her bed. Her smooth flat torso lead up to a black bra that seemed to taunt her to tear it off. She itched to reach out and touch her.

“I uhhh,” Yang winces as she had to hold back one final time, “I can’t… do this yet.”

The woman looked at her with a raised eyebrow and tried to hide her feelings as she curtly asked, “Why?”

“Well I don’t really sleep with people,” Yang looked her up and down again then stifled a quiet groan, “no matter how soul crushingly hot they are, unless I know their name first.”

The woman’s eyes widened, then she pinched the bridge of her nose. “Of course,” a resigned sigh escaped her before she looked back, “my name is Weiss.”

“Yang,” she responded with a laugh, “sorry for all the interruptions Weiss.” She immediately found herself smiling at how the woman’s name felt on her tongue.

Weiss placed a hand on her hip, “Now, if all your questions have been answered I have one for you Yang.”

She waited expectantly for Weiss to continue.

“Will you please take off your pants?”

Yang couldn’t help but smirk as she answered, “Yes ma’am.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

The early morning sun crept through the blinds and up Yang’s face. She groggily rubbed her face and was about to let out a loud yawn when she felt the weight of something on her chest.

**_Oh, right._ **

She looked down at Weiss sleeping soundly against her.

**_That was a thing that happened._ **

A quiet huff escaped her, it had truthfully been more than just “a thing.” Weiss was, demanding, beautiful, intriguing, elegant… _unique_.

Yang smiled as her mind had no trouble coming up with more words to describe the woman she had spent the night with. But the longer she thought the harsher her own inner dialogue became. She liked Weiss, but it was clear that the woman was a million miles out of her league.

**_It was just a one night stand. She didn’t seem to be looking for anything else. Which is… fine._ **

Weiss stirred a little, then nuzzled closer into the crook of Yang’s arm.

It made her smile to see how at ease Weiss looked, but a nawling ache in her stomach rapidly grew. She could tell herself she was okay with a one time thing until she was blue in the face, but that wouldn’t change the truth. She liked Weiss, more than she knew she should.

Yang tilted her head back against her pillow and let out a long silent sigh.

**_You just met her, get a grip!_ **

It didn’t take her long to realize that staying in bed next to Weiss wasn’t going to help lessen her feelings. So Yang decided to get up. She was as careful as she could be when easing Weiss off of her and slipped out of bed.

A smile pulled at her mouth when she saw Weiss start to drool on her pillow.

As adorable as watching a passed out Weiss in her bed was, the state of her bedroom was anything but cute. Their clothes from the night before, along with some she had neglected for a few days littered the ground. Yang’s comforter was barely hanging off the edge of the bed in a heap, and a few of the things on her night stand had been knocked over, including her lamp.

Yang grinned.

**_I remember how that happened._ **

She was snapped out of her thoughts of the night before by the chill of the morning air against her skin. With some haste she threw on clothes, then set about silently tidying the room.

Normally she wouldn’t have cared, but regardless of what their night together meant she didn’t want Weiss waking up to a messy room.

When she picked their clothes up off the floor Yang grimaced.

Weiss’s regal, blue dress shirt was a severely wrinkled. The thought of Weiss having to wear wrinkled clothes home was just too close to walk of shame territory for Yang to bare.

She looked down at Weiss one more time with a tinge of sadness.

**_I can at least make sure she has fresh clothes and some coffee to wake up to._ **

Yang paused for for a second, then a wicked smirk spread across her face.

**_Hmmm, I still have one card left to play. I might not be out of the running after all._ **

 

 

* * *

 

 

Cruel unrelenting light came through the window to accosted Weiss’s retinas through her eyelids.

**_I changed my mind. Solar energy is evil._ **

As Weiss sat up and struggled to make sense of her blurry surroundings, the feeling of foreign sheets on her bare skin and the distinct scent of citrus helped her sleep addled mind come to realization that she was not at home.

Comprehension hit her like a cold shower.

She quickly covered herself with the comforter and pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand. There was zero time wasted between remembering the night before and berating herself for her loss of self control. Certain choice events compounding her level of distress.

In all honesty, her self control hadn’t just slipped. She had thrown it out of a fifth story window and smirked as she watched it shatter against the pavement.

A distressed groan of regret escaped her, then she urgently grabbed her phone off the nightstand next to her.

Seeing that it was still morning gave her a sliver of relief. She still had quite a bit of time before her afternoon classes. Which meant she had plenty of time to sneak home and get cleaned up before heading to campus for the day.

She laid back on the bed and pulled the comforter around her for warmth. There was one fantastic upside to staying put; Blake would be at class if she took her time getting home. Knowing the the mileage her friend was going to get out of this latest event made Weiss more than happy to stay curled up in a bed that was far away from her roommate’s jibes.

As she nuzzled deeper into the covers Yang’s scent brought a smirk to her face. Blake could make fun of her all she wanted. There was a small part of her that was positively ecstatic with how things had turned out.

She bit her lip and smiled.

**_God, she was insatiable in the most gratifying ways. It’s been ages since I slept with anyone so… satisfying._ **

As delightful as staying in bed all day remembering their encounter would have been, Weiss was dreading the walk home in the same clothes as the night before.

 

She peered over the edge of the bed to look for her discarded apparel, and anxiety quickly made her her stomach turn.

**_Where. Are. My Clothes?_ **

Before full panic set in she shifted to search the other side of the bed. It was then that she spotted a small stack of garments on the far end of the bed with a piece of paper on top.

 

_Weiss,_

_Your clothes will hopefully be dry before you wake up, but if not here are some pajama pants and a shirt that should be small enough to fit you._

_In case you somehow forgot my name: it’s Yang ;)_

 

Blood immediately rushed to Weiss’s face at the last line. Yang knew for a fact that she hadn’t forgotten her name. Weiss had used it… quite a few times that night.

**_Wonderful, she is the type that likes to tease._ **

When her irritation and embarrassment finally subsided Weiss slipped on the clothes that had been left for her. They were a touch baggy on her, but nearly all untailored clothes were.

A small smile played at Weiss’s lips. She might have found the note to be annoying, but it was quite thoughtful of Yang to leave her clothes and wash the ones from the night before.

Yang wasn’t at all what Weiss had initially assumed. In fact, the longer she had spent with Yang at the bar the more Weiss had wanted to know. Since the moment they met Yang had been incredibly considerate.

The fact that that thoughtfulness hadn’t disappeared the morning after was even more surprising.

A lament ridden frown marked her face as she approached for the door. Such kindness was foreign to Weiss.

It left her worried that the other shoe was soon to drop, so much so that she hesitated for a moment before she opened the door.

Though, what she found on the other side couldn’t have been further from her imagined concern.

The instant the door cracked open, Weiss’s senses were flooded with a mixture of heavenly scents. She walked down the hall and quickly scanned the small apartment. It didn’t take her long to spot Yang off to the left cooking in the kitchen.

Bowls and cutting boards laid all over the small kitchen and were full of food that was being prepared. All while Yang continued to diligently work in the far corner of the kitchen near the stove, the knife in her hand moving with precision and speed.

Weiss could have easily made her presence known, but something about seeing Yang work made her hesitate to interrupt. The blond wore a jovial smile as she moved the mushrooms she had been cutting from the cutting board to the pan on the stove. There was vibrant energy emanating from Yang while she cooked.

Entranced, Weiss leaned up against the doorframe as she watched. She felt as if she could bask in the warmth of that energy all day. Yang’s beauty in that moment was complex but unmistakable.

Slowly, as reality slithered back around her consciousness, a deep set frown made its way across Weiss’s face.

The truth was, Yang’s physical attractiveness wasn’t the reason that Weiss’s self control had slipped.

It had been all about the way that Yang made her feel.

The whole night Weiss had been so comfortable and at ease around her, but at the same time excited. It was the way that Yang had spoke to her, and the genuine way she acted towards Weiss that had made her guard fall.

Weiss closed her eyes and clenched her jaw as a dull, yet familiar, ache of disappointment grew in her chest.

**_It doesn’t matter how she makes me feel. I won’t be able to see her again._ **

In that moment, more than she could ever remember in the past, Weiss felt regret at her chosen path.

She took one more look at Yang before she straightened her posture and buried her feelings. Then, like she did with so many other things in her life, she approached the kitchen as if everything was completely fine.

“Oh,” Yang perked up when she saw Weiss walk up to the counter, “you’re awake.” She turned back to the stove and effortlessly tossed the mushrooms and herbs in the pan into the air before catching them again and setting the dish aside.

Weiss’s eyebrow raised, Yang’s skill seemed to be significantly more than average.

The blond turned back to her, “Sorry, I got a little busy and haven’t pulled your clothes from the drier yet.” She smiled at Weiss, “I was hoping that you might have time for breakfast?”

“I-” Weiss knew that she should say no. The longer she stayed the more painful it would be when she had to leave, but the food that dotted the counter smelled wonderful and she wanted to know how all the disperate pieces that Yang was preparing would come together. She let out a light sigh and smiled, “I don’t honestly know how to say no, so… yes.”

“Great,” Yang beamed, “I still have a few more things to put together, but I should be done by the time you get dressed and washed up. The drier is in the closet near the bathroom,” she pointed back the way Weiss had come, “and there is an iron on the shelf next to the detergent.”

“Thank you,” Weiss smiled back, “your hospitality is far too kind.”

Yang stopped what she was doing and looked at her. When she did, Weiss felt frozen by the light lavender eyes that connected with her own.

“I could say the same about your company,” Yang stated without any pretense. Then she winked, “Cooking you breakfast might have been a ploy to get to spend just a little more time with you.”

Weiss blushed as she responded, “Then, I’d better get dressed.” She quickly turned and walked away, mad at herself for being so taken with a woman that she could not pursue.

She made a fist in frustration as she walked down the hallway.

**_Of course she had to be charming as well._ **

A series of grumbling sighs later Weiss walked back to the bedroom, clothes and iron in hand. It didn’t take her long to wash up and iron her clothes, Yang had done a good job cleaning them.

Fully dressed Weiss sat on the edge of the bed and brooded.

**_It is just breakfast, I can make it through this. I will stay long enough to be polite and then excuse myself so that I can get to class on time._ **

Weiss looked back at the closed door of the bedroom.

**_Our time together will just have to become a fond memory. This is far from the first time that I have had to part ways with someone._ **

Resolve set, Weiss stood and moved to open the door.

As she rounded the corner she found a line of empty plates on the counter. Yang had a pan in her hand and was sliding a perfectly tri-folded omelette onto one of the plates as Weiss sat down.

“Just in time,” Yang smiled. She set the pan back on the stove and then took a knife and cut the omelette in two. When she spread it apart mushrooms dotted with specs of green and white cheese started to flow out. “Just give me a sec,” Yang stated as she reached for a steel bowl, “and the rest will be done.”

Weiss watched as Yang neatly placed some dressed greens on the plate in the space she had created above the two halves of the omlette. She then slid a spatula under a metal ring resting in a different pan on the stove and carefully set it next to the salad. When she lifted the ring a perfect cylinder of hashbrowns crisped on the top and bottom appeared.

“Yang,” she started, “you really didn’t need to do all of this. I would have been fine with coffee and some toast.”

The blond set the plate on the counter for her, then nervously rubbed the back of her head, “Then I probably shouldn’t tell you that I also made blueberry crepes?”

Her mouth watered, Weiss loved blueberries. “Well, if they are already made, then it would be rude not to eat them.” Her eyebrows knitted together with anxiety as she asked, “Do you have coffee though? I am useless without it.”

Yang smiled and lifted an Atlesian coffee press from behind the counter, “I don’t drink that much coffee myself, but I keep some in the apartment.” She pulled out a mug from a cabinet and asked, “How do you take it,” as she poured.

Weiss reached out for the cup, “That depends on the coffee, but usually just with a little cream.”

As she took her first sip she let out a long hum of approval, she would definitely add some cream, but the coffee had delicious nutty notes of chicory.

She opened her eyes when she heard Yang place a carton of cream in front of her. A raised blond eyebrow and a grin greated her, “If I would have known that you were so easily impressed by coffee then I wouldn’t have tried to so hard to dazzle you with my mixed drinks last night.”

Weiss narrowed her eyes and shot back a teasing retort, “You say that, but it is very clear that you enjoy showing off.” As she watched Yang use a piping bag to lay down a line of cream inside of a crepe, she asked, “How is it that a bartender is also so skilled in the kitchen?”

Yang smirked, “Well try the food first, but I would hope that you recognize me as skilled at more than just making drinks after last night.”

Weiss nearly spit out the coffee she was sipping. She cleared her throat as she addressed the grinning blond, “You seem much more confident than I remember you being at the bar. Were the drinks you made me that strong,” she shot back, “or did _my_ skill leave you in a substantially better mood this morning?”

The blond blushed and then picked up her own plate, “I think I’m going to shut up before the breakfast I made gets cold.”

Deciding to let Yang off the hook Weiss picked up her fork ready to cut into the blueberry crepes that Yang had just finished preparing. The dish had wonderful presentation, the rolled crepes were topped with a little more whisked cream, dusted with nutmeg, and had a thinly chopped herb on top.

After she took her first bite Weiss almost groaned in delight. Yang had drastically undersold the dish. Weiss could taste cardamom, orange, and cream from the inside of the crepe along with delicious and slightly sweetened blueberries the bursted in her mouth as she chewed. The sharpness of the fruit was perfectly cut by the cream inside, and the spices elevated the dish to a whole other level. Upon taking her second bite she found that the herb on top was finely chefanaded basil. The fresh sweet herb cleansed her pallet, yet somehow made the dish seem complete and cohesive.

She honestly didn’t know what to say, not even the staff at home had ever made her such delicious, pillowy crepes and they were some of the best chefs money could buy.

Weiss set down her fork, “I think I am in danger of turning into a glutton in front of you. That is absolutely delicious.”

Yang smirked as she picked up her own plate, “You can stay and eat as long as you like. I’ll be the last person to ever ask you to leave or stop appreciating my food.”

Her eyebrow raised as she appraised this new smuggly confident side of Yang.

**_What other secret’s does this woman hold?_ **

“You should try the omelette before it gets cold though,” Yang said after swallowing a bite of food, “It is best when the cheese is still all melty.”

Weiss curiously complied to the woman’s “eloquent” description and cut into the eggs. Her knife dropped threw the omelette like it was barely even there. When she pulled the bite away on her fork gooey cheese stretched out and she had to use her knife to wrap it around her fork. She smirked in recognition.

**_Melty._ **

This time Weiss didn’t contain the noise that came from her at the first bite. A hum of strong approval escaped as she enjoyed the savory counterpoint to the crepes. Sharply flavored cheese and herb sauteed mushrooms were wrapped in a fluffy cocoon of egg. Her mouth watered at the opposing flavors of the dish. The crepes had been sweet and refreshing, whereas the omelette was savory and decodent.

She took a bite of the lightly dressed greens and felt her palate cleansed by the acidity of the balsamic that they had been tossed in. It was the perfect bite one needed before coming back for another bite of the rich and herbaceous eggs on her plate.

Weiss carefully put down her fork as she contemplated the meal Yang had made. Then she pointedly looked up at her before asking, “Who exactly are you Yang?”

The woman looked confused, “What do you mean? Like my last name, Xiao Long?”

“No,” Weiss continued to stare her down, “I mean, I grew up with a personal chef and ate in the finest restaurants Atlas has to offer, and you are easily better than half of them. How are you a bartender?”

“Oh,” Yang nervously looked away, “Well I was actually pretty close to finishing culinary school in Vale, but” her eyebrows dipped in bitter frustration, “I underestimated my financial needs. It is a long story, but I couldn’t keep up so I had to drop out.”

Yang looked back up at her and Weiss could tell there was more to the story than she was willing to share.

“I bartend, because it is a good way to make money.” She looked down at the food she had made, “If I want to finish school I have to save up a lot of money. Bartending can help me do that in the next year or so if I’m lucky.”

Weiss looked at the extravagant meal that Yang had just made for her and cringed with guilt. Such a spread of food would have cost quite a lot of lien at any restaurant. “Yang, I had no idea,” she frowned, “I feel terrible that I imposed on you. Had I known I wouldn’t have let you make me such an expensive meal.”

Yang suddenly laughed at her, “Expensive?” Weiss was very confused, but waited for the blond to stop laughing, “Wow, Professor Plum was right, people really have no idea how food cost works.”

“What are you talking about?” Weiss asked with suspicion.

“Well,” Yang started, “nothing I made you was at all expensive to buy. Cooking fine food is more about using proper technique then using the most expensive ingredients.”

Weiss raised an inquisitive eyebrow, “I know a good number of people in Atlas that would disagree.”

Yang snickered, “And I am sure their personal chef’s love having them believe that, but fancy or extravagant items are usually more about wow factor or trying to prove status than anything.”

She opened her mouth to counter Yang’s argument, but the blond didn’t give her the chance, “Let me put it like this. You could give someone the finest, most expensive art supplies money can buy, but if the person using them doesn’t know technique or have any skill then they are just smearing good looking paint around a very expensive canvas.

“All this,” Yang waved her hand across the counter filled with food, “cost me less than ten lien to make, and had I been able to buy it wholesale, like a restaurant, instead of at the grocery store I could have cut that price nearly in half.”

A drop of water finally fell onto Weiss’s dried out inspiration.

“Do you still not believe me?” Yang looked at her with a frown.

“No,” pieces started to fall into place in Weiss’s mind, “it isn’t that.”

She looked up at Yang and held her gaze for a long time as she thought. Weiss cringed internally, she truly hated herself for what she was about to do next.

“Yang,” she looked away, “would you cook for me again?”

“Of course,” Yang smiled, “I was pretty sure that you only wanted- I mean,” she rubbed the back of her head and laughed, “it’s a date. What would you like me to make you?”

Weiss smiled, but it didn’t touch her eyes, “Lunch tomorrow, but only if you can make it as inexpensive as you did today. What you make is up to you, I am not a picky eater and I don’t have any dietary restrictions.”

“Wow, that leaves the field wide open,” Yang beamed.

A pit of guilt grew in Weiss stomach.

**_I am terrible, but I have to make sure that she is as good as I thinks she is before I tell her the truth._ **

After a few more bites of wonderfully delicious food, Weiss was close to being full. She took a long drag off of her coffee then pretended to check the time on her phone. Her overwhelming guilt had precipitated her desire to leave.

“I’m sorry to eat and run,” Weiss apologized, “but I have class coming up. Umm.” She looked around and found a notepad and pen on the far side of the counter. She quickly wrote her number on the pad along with her name and then slid the paper towards Yang, “Call me with what time works for you tomorrow.”

Yang smiled as she looked down at the number, and Weiss felt shame clench around her heart.

“Sorry again,” Weiss frowned as she stood. “I uhh, really should be going now.”

As she watch Weiss, Yang’s brow furrowed, “Can I walk you down?”

Weiss’s stomach churned with anxiety, but she plastered on a fake smile, “No, I’ve already imposed on you far too much. Please finish your breakfast, I can see myself out.”

“Oh, okay,” Yang continued to observe her with a look of worry, “I guess I will see you tomorrow then.”

“Absolutely,” Weiss responded, then briskly walked to the door.

As soon as she reached the elevator Weiss hit the button harder than she needed to and closed her eyes.

**_I really am the worst._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about where things got cut off. Someone *rolls eyes* said that the smut wasn’t needed for this story since it didn’t add anything to the chapter or overall narrative.
> 
> I vehemently disagreed, but conceded that their point was actually valid. Soooooo I decided to circumvent the issue by making what happens that night necessary for the story progression later on, muhaha. So, you don’t get the smut part… yet. But you WILL end up finding out the rest later.
> 
> Morning after song (Such mixed emotions with these two)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZF28G8zCXw&index=21&t=0s&list=PLmme_kG3HhOWkTJ1cAx7i_uV3sxkAoy3h
> 
> Idk why but this jazzy piece was what I listened to while editing scene in the kitchen.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caLEkUQqpKo

**Author's Note:**

>  **Other stories to check out:**  
>  "Recovery" - Volume 4 Freezerburn  
> "Freezerburn Drabbles" - Fun fluff pieces from Recovery that stand on their own
> 
>  
> 
> **How to support the author:**  
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> 
> You know the drill: Click the kudo button and subscribe so you don't miss out on the next chapter. And PLEASE take just a minute to leave constructive feedback. Comments from readers has had a really positive influence on my stories and has helped me work towards becoming a better writer.  
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